Wrench



c. LWIS. WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. H, 1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oYRIL HILL LEWIS, or SHANGANI, SOUTHERN RHODESIA, BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No. 416,255

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRIL HILL Lnwrs, a citizen of Southern Bhodesia'and subject of the King of England, residing at Shangani, in the Territory of Southern Rhodesia, British South Africa, have invented new and useful Improvements in VVrenche's, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to an improved construction of wrenches.

An object is to produce a wrench having a pivoted jaw, and an eccentrically pivoted element designed to co-engage therewith, whereby to hold the jaw at any desired angle with respect to the handle to lock the jaw to the handle to turn an object engaged by the jaw in one direction and to also permit of the handle swinging free of looking engagement with the jaw in an opposite direction so that a new grip can be obtained for further turning the object engaged by the jaw.

It is also my purpose to produce a wrench that shall be of a simple, cheap and eflicient construction, and wherein the employment of spring or analogous devices is entirely dispensed with.

The foregoing objects, and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is illustrated by the drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a wrench con structed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately 011 the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I provide a handle 1 which is preferably in the nature of a metallic plate and which, upon one of its faces, and approximately at the center thereof is formed wth an outstanding flange 2 from which is directed a plate 3 that is spaced from but parallel to the outer portion of the plate providing the handle. Between the plates 3 and 1, at the outer end of the handle there is pivoted, as at 4 the body portion 5 of a jaw member 6. The body 5 is in the nature of a flat peripherally rounded member, and the periphery of the said member is milled or otherwise roughened as indicated by the numeral 7 Between the plates 3 and 1, inward of the roughened periphery of the body portion of the jaw 6 is a wheel 8. This wheel is eccentrically pivoted, as at 9, between the plates 3 and 1 and has a milled or roughened peripheralsurface 10. The wheel 8 1s 1n the nature of a fiat member, that is a member of an equal thickness throughout, and is provided with a slot 11 in which there is received and pivoted, as at 12, one end of a rod 13. The rod 13 passes through an opening 14 in the flange 2, and has its outer end disposed over the outer portion of the plate 1 that provides the handle proper of the wrench. The outer end of the rod is headed as at 15. The opening 14 is sufficiently wide to permit a slight swinging movement of the rod 13, sufficient to arrange the same at such an angle that a push eX- erted against the head 15 thereof will cause the wheel 8 to be turned on its pivot 9.

The jaw 6 may be swung upon its pivot l to arrange the same at any desired angle with respect to the handle 1. By swinging the rod 13 to a slight angle, as above set forth, and by exerting a push on. the head end 15 of the rod 13 will cause the eccentrically pivoted wheel 8 to turn so that the milled peripheral surface thereof will be brought into engagement with the milled peripheral surface of the body of the jaw, and thus lock the jaw to the handle. It will be obvious that the swinging of the jaw 5 in one direction will'only cause a binding between the same and the wheel, and it will be also obvious that the turning of the jaw in another direction will cause the roughened peripheral surface 7 thereof to ride off of the roughened peripheral surface of the wheel or in other words turn the wheel to bring the same out of engagement with the jaw. When the handle is again turned the wheel is again brought into engagement with the jaw, and in this manner a ratchet engagement is afforded between the wheel and jaw.

It is thought that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction, operation and advantages of the improvement to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the drawings and description refer to a satisfactory embodiment of the improvement, but it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction as herein set forth, as modification and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims. Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A wrench including a handle, a jaw having a body portion which is pivotally secured to I the handle, an eccentrically mounted wheel on the handle to the rear of the body of the jaw, and a rod pivotally connected thereto whereby to bring the periphery of'the wheel into frictional engagement with the periphery of the jaw.

. 2. In a wrench, a handle, a jaw having a body portion provided with a round milled periphery, and said body being pivotally secured to the outer end of the handle, an eccentrically pivoted wheel on the handle to the rear of the jaw and having a milled surface, a rod pivotally connected to the wheel, guide means carried by the handle for the rod, and said rod susceptible to a swinging movement on the wheel, and when so swung designed when moved in the direction of the jaw to turn the wheel on its pivot to bring the milled periphery thereof into engagement with the milled periphery of the body of the jaw.

' In testimony whereof I allix my signature. CYRIL HILL LEWVIS. 

